Donald Trump is running a classic presidential campaign–in a Bizarro universe. By any other standard, Trump is writing the definitive book on how to conduct the worst presidential campaign in electoral history.

Of course, the Republican party leadership is up in arms about such irresponsible behavior. Sort of. In fact, what sent the party elders over the edge was none of the above, but instead Trump’s refusal to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. John McCain. (Trump did get around to an endorsement after letting the humiliation last for a few days.)

Faced with such outré behavior, the party began to talk openly of an intervention. And who would conduct such a critical act?

Potentially joining Gingrich in this outreach are other notable dim bulbs, including:

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who spent his time at the Republican Convention shouting at the top of his lungs in a re-enactment of the mad scene from Lucia di Lammermoor

Maine Gov. Paul LePage, whom Politico has dubbed “America’s craziest governor” (a title for which there is stiff competition)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who went from being the party’s favorite bully to Donald Trump’s butt boy, fetching the master his McDonald’s

Whether or not the intervention ever happens doesn’t really matter. The fact that the looniest members of the party are suddenly the voices of reason is what’s worrisome. Trump has moved the goal posts of political normalcy so far out of the stadium (forget about down the field) that what–or who–once looked crazy is now rational.

And that’s the most dangerous characteristic of the Trump campaign. In the end, Trump is likely to go down to defeat. But his legacy will be to have mainstreamed the lunatic fringe. We’ll be living with the fallout from that for a long time after Election Day.